Mushroom vent plug



8" 11, 1931- J. c. GROBLE 1,818,249

' MUSHROOM VENT PLUG Filed Sept. 25, 1925-3- Patented Aug. 11, 1931STATES PATENT OFFICE JACOB C. GR-OBLE, OF ANDERSON, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR 10GROBLE GAS REGULATOR (10., r

OIE ANDERSON, INDIANA, A CORPORATION OF INDIANA MUSHROOM VENT PLUGApplication filed. September 25, 1929. Serial No. 394,972.

My invention relates to vent plugs for gas regulators and the like andmore particularly to a mushroom-shaped vent plug formed in such a manneras to substantially prevent the clogging of the vent passageways thereinby the natural elements, insects and the like.

Prior to my invention, I experienced a great deal of trouble with gasregulators due to the clogging up of the vents of the same by n insects,natural elements and the like. This is particularly true of the gasregulators in stalled in the southern parts of our country where insectssuch as mud daubers exist in great numbers. These mud daubers seem todelight in building their nests in the vents of gas regulators andsealing up their eggs in the same. When the young mud daubers come outof their-nests they break through the outer mud portions of the nestsbut do not disturb the inner portions of mud in the vents. The mudremaining in these vents naturally clogs the same and renders theregulators associated therewith inoperative, thereby making it necessaryfor a service man 2 to go out into the field and reopen such cloggedvents in order to put the regulators back into operation.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved vent plugparticularly adapted for use in gas regulators and which is of such aconstruction as to prevent insects such as mud daubers and the like fromclogging up the vent passageways in the same.

In accordance with the general features of 1 my invention, there isprovided a vent plug comprising a headed member shaped similar to amushroom including a head portion with an upwardly and inwardly inclinedunder surface and a stem portion having a central passagewaycommunicating at its upper end with radial passageways terminating attheir outer ends directly under the inclined surface of the head; theinclined under surface of the head being so arranged relative to theradial passageways as to aid in preventing the clogging of the outerends of these passageways by insects, natural elements and the like.

Other objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear fromthe following detailed description taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings which illustrate a single embodiment of myinvention and in which:

Figure 1 is an elevation of an'auxiliary or i service gas regulatorpartly in section pro vided with the vent plug of my invention which isillustrated in section;

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken on substantially the lineII--II of 3}; Figure 1 through the vent plug of my invention, lookingupwardly; and

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the plug of myinvention similar to the view of the plug shown in Figure 1.

In the drawings: I

Figure 10 designates generally an auxiliary or service gas regulatorwhich includes a top cap 11 defining a diaphragm chamber 12. The top cap11 is provided with an upwardly extending tubular boss 13 into which isthreaded a vent plug 15 embodying the features of my invention. Thisvent plug is disposed atits lower end in communication with a smallopening 1 1- communicating with the diaphragm chamber 12. The purpose ofthis vent plug 15 as is well known in the art is to relieve the chamber12 from pressure as the diaphragm of the regulator is moved upwardlytherein. Obviously if the vent in such a plug should become clogged forany reason it would result in a back pressure being. built up in thediaphragm chamber 12 which would react in such a way on the diaphragm ofthe regulator as to practically make the regulator inoperative for thepurpose which it is designed to accomplish.

The vent plug 15 of my invention is designed with the thought in mindof'minimizing the possibility of the vent passageway in 3 said plugbecoming clogged by insects, natural elements and the like. This plug,as best shown in Figures Qand 3 comprises a headed member shaped similarto a mushroom and includes a head portion 16 and a threaded stem 17.formed to be threaded into the boss 18 of the regulator. The head 16 hasits top surface curved or semi-spherical in shape so as to enable rainand the like to readily glance oil the same. The under edge of the headpor tion 16 is provided with an upwardly and inwardly inclined annularsurface 18 designed to serve as a protecting ledge for the outer ends ofthe radial ventpassageways 19 formed in the stem 17 of the plug.

The radial passageways 19 communicate at their inner ends with a centralvertical passageway extending upwardly through the stem 17 i Thiscentral passageway 20 is adapted to communicatewith the opening 14 inthe cap 11 of the regulator previously described. 7

Radial passageways 19 are inclined downwardly from the upper end of thecentral passageway 20 and have their outer ends terminat-ing directlybelow the inclined surface 18 of the head portion 16.

The radial passageways 19 of this plug as is evident from Figure 1 arerelatively small as compared to the central passageway 20 or the opening14 in the cap 11, and are in fact made small enough so as to prevent muddaubers and similar insects from entering the same. l\loreover', theprotecting annular ledge of the head portion 16 is designed so as toward oft the natural elements "from these passageways, thus minimizingthe possibility of the outer ends" of these passageways 19 becomingclogged by the natural elements and the like. Then, too, it is to benoted that even if one of the radial passageways 19 were to becomeclogged it would not render the regulator inoperative for the reasonthat the other radial passageways will permit of the venting ofthechamber 12 of the regulator.

' N owE I desire it understood that although I have illustrated anddescribed in detail the preferred embodiment of my invention, theinvention is not to be thus limited but only insofar as defined by thescope and spirit of the appended claim. r

I claim as my invention:

A vent plug for a gas pressure regulator, said plug consisting of a bodyhaving a reduced stem portion terminating at one end in an enlargedmushroom-shaped head portion defining on the lower side thereof anoutwardly and downwardly inclined annular lip,

said body having a'central passage in the stem portion terminatingwithin thehead, and a plurality of downwardly and outwardly inclinedrelatively small side passages extending from the central passagethrough the stem arranged to open under said lip, said lip and sidepassages arranged cooperating to prevent the blocking of the vent by muddaubers and the like.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Anderson,Madison. C01111- ty', Indiana.

JACOB- C. GROBLE.

